Friday

Out of It

On Wednesday night, we had Ryan Seacrest's Rockin' New Year's Eve on the TV with the sound off, while the kids played games and I grogged off my hangover. At midnight, we turned up the volume and counted down, then we turned the sound off again.

I asked shortly after midnight, "Who's that blonde woman they keep showing? I don't think I've ever seen a performer so self-consciously promoting of herself." Amused, Marie responded sarcastically, "I swear, you don't know anything. That's Taylor Swift."

I recognized the name "Taylor Swift," but I was, I must admit, pleased that I didn't know what she looked like. It reminded me of a Joseph Epstein essay, in which he commented on "being out of it" and how it quietly pleased him not to know or recognize many fixtures of the pop world. When one doesn't recognize such hokum, it's a sign that one is probably spending his time on better things. Of course, one might be spending it on whoring, drinking, Facebooking, money-obsessing, and other perversions, but at least he's not spending it on Taylor Swift . . . and that's a good sign of something good.

No BYCU today. I assume everyone is gluttoned-out and is sobering up for the Epiphany. For me, as for many other Americans, it's time to get back on the dietary straight and narrow.